Let's talk BMI

I loathe BMI charts and goal weight calculators and frankly have no idea what I'm supposed to weigh. I'm 5'5 and my BMI is technically overweight, but I still have to buy small clothes.

Hell, my profile pic was 5 lbs away from overweight for my height according to BMI

Welcome to being an unhealthy genetic freak that has too much muscle like the rest of us!

:flowerforyou:

I don't think the ideal weight range is that off. I think people's perception of what is actually healthy is morphed because of the abundance of obese and overweight people. You don't have to be 300 lbs+ to be obese and in greater risk of health problems.

130 for someone 6'0 is not ideal, it's underweight according to BMI. It gives you a range and if you're "big-boned" then shoot for approximately the higher number. It's not a done deal index. If you're comfortable 10 lbs above the highest number, then go for it. I just don't think the range is drastically off. It's obviously not precisely accurate for a number of reasons, but I'd say 10-15 lbs is its range of error.

I agree. I keep on being told that 'surely you are not overweight' I had this same response when my BMI was 30.9 (Obese) as now when it is 25.2 (1 pound off healthy weight) To be honest. a size 14 (Uk size) is average- just because your size is average doesn't mean it is healthy. People weigh a lot heavier nowadays! Don't listen to the compliments and have a good look in the mirror. BMI may not be completely accurate- it is a darn good indicator!

Agreed. BMI alone might not be accurate to decimal point, but it definitely has its value.

BMI no longer has value. Check your body fat % and take a fitness test. THAT has value.

I think you are a special case. Not every gilr/woman out there can and will build muscle like you have done. I still think the ratio between the weight and height means something for the majority of the population.

Why? She's not a genetic freak. She doesn't have PCOS, and she's not a man. There's no reason people can't be HEALTHY like Yoovie (even with what you might consider more 'reasonable' mass, she's still not in the healthy portion of that stupid scale). There's been multiple HEALTHY people who've posted that are NOT muscle bound apes.

The scale is worthless. Just because it fits some small part of the population doesn't mean you, the health insurance industry, or anyone else should be able to cram it on all of our feet.

Hey, calm down. I didn't say or imply any of those things you said about her. You jumped the gun here oK? She's a special case by which I mean to pay a compliment. She works hard to get where she's. But it doesn't mean most of us out there can do the same and reach the same result. You can say whatever you interprete others comments, but please, keep that to yourself.

And by the way, if you don't really care for the tool, I wonder why you are so freaking out. If a tool is useless, why would you care so much what the tools tells you ("obese" in your case).

I don't think the ideal weight range is that off. I think people's perception of what is actually healthy is morphed because of the abundance of obese and overweight people. You don't have to be 300 lbs+ to be obese and in greater risk of health problems.

130 for someone 6'0 is not ideal, it's underweight according to BMI. It gives you a range and if you're "big-boned" then shoot for approximately the higher number. It's not a done deal index. If you're comfortable 10 lbs above the highest number, then go for it. I just don't think the range is drastically off. It's obviously not precisely accurate for a number of reasons, but I'd say 10-15 lbs is its range of error.

I agree. I keep on being told that 'surely you are not overweight' I had this same response when my BMI was 30.9 (Obese) as now when it is 25.2 (1 pound off healthy weight) To be honest. a size 14 (Uk size) is average- just because your size is average doesn't mean it is healthy. People weigh a lot heavier nowadays! Don't listen to the compliments and have a good look in the mirror. BMI may not be completely accurate- it is a darn good indicator!

Agreed. BMI alone might not be accurate to decimal point, but it definitely has its value.

BMI no longer has value. Check your body fat % and take a fitness test. THAT has value.

I think you are a special case. Not every gilr/woman out there can and will build muscle like you have done. I still think the ratio between the weight and height means something for the majority of the population.

Why? She's not a genetic freak. She doesn't have PCOS, and she's not a man. There's no reason people can't be HEALTHY like Yoovie (even with what you might consider more 'reasonable' mass, she's still not in the healthy portion of that stupid scale). There's been multiple HEALTHY people who've posted that are NOT muscle bound apes.

The scale is worthless. Just because it fits some small part of the population doesn't mean you, the health insurance industry, or anyone else should be able to cram it on all of our feet.

Hey, calm down. I didn't say or imply any of those things you said about her. You jumped the gun here oK? She's a special case by which I mean to pay a compliment. She works hard to get where she's. But it doesn't mean most of us out there can do the same and reach the same result. You can say whatever you interprete others comments, but please, keep that to yourself.

And by the way, if you don't really care for the tool, I wonder why you are so freaking out. If a tool is useless, why would you care so much what the tools tells you ("obese" in your case).

First...I understood what you meant hun, I saw the smiley. I was making the point that the words you said were inaccurate. What you've said this time is more what I believe you meant the first time. She's not different, she just takes care of herself. What you said about 'it doesn't mean most of us out there can do the same and reach the same result' is what I'm arguing with, because it's 100% wrong. MOST of you, can. Very few can't. I do agree most won't (it's not like her results make her overly muscular...she looks INCREDIBLY feminine in my opinion, and the opinion of most other women I've heard reflects that)...which is sad.

Second, I'm not freaking out. The simple fact is that the more poeple that speak up...the more people will be made aware of the fact that it's useless, and the more chance it has of being removed as the 'bar' of health in the medical field (yes, they use that worthless chart for TONS of things), and more importantly, in the MEDICAL INSURANCE field. Additionally, MANY large companies use this 'harmless' tool as a guage of health for their employees.

So please, don't say that I'm 'freaking out over a 'tool'. It's not a tool, it's a health standard, used by MANY fields to judge people, and used inaccurately by MANY women (and even some men) to judge where their goal weight should be set. Add to that that it's a health standard that absolutely is inaccurate to a large degree, and you bet I'm going to speak up against it.

Yoovie - I'm a bit confused my your BMI complaints - if you are 5"9 and weigh 170lbs you are only about 1lb off being within the healthy BMI range - why are you so against BMI as you are just about in the healthy band? Not meaning any offence just referring to my previous point that there is a healthy range and you are just about in it.

Yoovie - I'm a bit confused my your BMI complaints - if you are 5"9 and weigh 170lbs you are only about 1lb off being within the healthy BMI range - why are you so against BMI as you are just about in the healthy band? Not meaning any offence just referring to my previous point that there is a healthy range and you are just about in it.

BMI hs a range so it can account for your skeletal frame size. Im tiny framed, and by tiny framed I mean I have like a 5" wrist, so BMI has me aimed for 130-140 which is 30-40 pounds less than where I am now. My lean mass alone is between 130 and 140.

Yoovie - have you spoken to someone about your frame - I used to believe I was small framed as I have very small wrists but I have big hands and broad shoulders and hips when I spoke to my Dr about it he said he would consider to me to be mid-large framed because of the width of shoulders/hips and hand size. Wrist size alone is not always 100% accurate. I have been advised a BMI of no less than 23 would be healthy and I have to say that at BMI 23.7 I am getting comments that I am looking very skinny. I know all Dr's have their own opinion but mine seems to have a more realistic view of life. My body fat % not fantastic but recent calculations it was around the 25% mark and I am ok with that.

Edited to add my wrist size is approx 5.8inches.

Yoovie - I'm a bit confused my your BMI complaints - if you are 5"9 and weigh 170lbs you are only about 1lb off being within the healthy BMI range - why are you so against BMI as you are just about in the healthy band? Not meaning any offence just referring to my previous point that there is a healthy range and you are just about in it.

BMI hs a range so it can account for your skeletal frame size. Im tiny framed, and by tiny framed I mean I have like a 5" wrist, so BMI has me aimed for 130-140 which is 30-40 pounds less than where I am now. My lean mass alone is between 130 and 140.

Yoovie - have you spoken to someone about your frame - I used to believe I was small framed as I have very small wrists but I have big hands and broad shoulders and hips when I spoke to my Dr about it he said he would consider to me to be mid-large framed because of the width of shoulders/hips and hand size. Wrist size alone is not always 100% accurate. I have been advised a BMI of no less than 23 would be healthy and I have to say that at BMI 23.7 I am getting comments that I am looking very skinny. I know all Dr's have their own opinion but mine seems to have a more realistic view of life. My body fat % not fantastic but recent calculations it was around the 25% mark and I am ok with that.

Edited to add my wrist size is approx 5.8inches.

Yeah my doc has me at small, and very small for my height. I get that from my mom. She had bird bones. My body fat % is somewhere between 22-25 up and down over the last year. I could stand to lose about 10 pounds of fat but it would be replaced by muscle- its the story of my life. I've probably lost about 15 pounds in the last year but gained the same in lean mass. Ive been between 171 and 176 for two years but lost several clothing sizes. Several.

Keep at it - sounds like you are pretty healthy.